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Hello binkybarnes! We are in NOVA (Fairfax County) for the third time. I know the type of schools you are used to. You won't find any that are even close in Hawaii. I spent twelve years in Hawaii. We lived there for three years...four times. I taught at a private school.
If you aren't going to be in Hawaii very long, what about homeschooling? There is (was?) a large network of homeschoolers because of the number of military and Federal Gov't folks on the island.
Holy Family (I think that is the name) used to be a pretty good school. Probably the only private school I would even consider.
Homeschooling is not an option b/c my husband and I both work full-time.
Do you have any information about Sacred Hearts Academy, St. Andrew's Priory, Hanahouli, Hongwanji Mission, or Maryknoll? We are not catholic, but it seems that people of all faiths may apply to the catholic schools. They tend to be less expensive than some of the others.
If you don't mind sharing, at which private school did you teach? Are you saying that even the private schools in Hawaii do not compare to the public schools in NOVA? Thanks!
I was a sub in the public school system for several years. It really is bad. I taught kindergarten at St. Timothy's. When I was there, we only went up to Kindergarten.
Holy Family was very good when we were there, but it's been a long time. Holy Family Catholic Academy - Honolulu Hawaii
I had a good friend who taught at the school and had kids there as well...they really liked it. And yes, anyone can attend Catholic School. My kids went to private Catholic school in Mississippi and we weren't Catholic at the time. (We later became Catholic, but that's another story.) I don't know much about the others. And it's been a long time since we last lived on the Island.
Just an example...my sisters both went to Leilehua (sp?). I'm not sure what my parents were thinking. Leilehua is one of the worst schools on the Island. They transferred back to NOVA during 10th/11th grade and went to Robinson. It was really difficult for them to catch up. When we lived in Hawaii the second time, I went to Muanaloa (again, spelling?). It was considered one of the better public schools at the time. We moved back to the mainland my sophomore year. It was such a shock. The expectation levels were just so different.
The private schools in Hawaii do not compare to the public schools in most of NOVA. But they are not as bad as the public schools. And honestly, most of the private schools in Hawaii are probably as good as the public schools in other states. However, you are coming from NOVA where many of the schools are among the best in the country. There are a lot of wonderful things about Hawaii. Your kids will love being able to be outside all the time. They weather is beautiful. There is so much to do. If you can find them a good private school, you'll be set!
I love Hawaii. I had a blast as a kid there. I graduated from high school on the mainland and went back to Hawaii for college. I had a great time at the University of Hawaii! I would love to go back! I think the good stuff more than outweighs the bad! If we found out we were being transferred back, I would put my kids in a Catholic school. Definitely visit several and see what you think.
Yes, our daughter currently attends a school in NOVA that is a feeder school into some of the best public high schools in the nation. I suppose now that I have been spoiled, I have high expectations. I guess we will just have to stay on top of her education, stay involved, and try for the best private we can. I also feel the positives outweigh the negatives (at least so far!) Thank you for the info.
Hi. I have been reading your questions on city-data regarding your move to Hawaii and your desire to find good quality education for your daughter. I believe someone mentioned that Noelani is a good elementary school which I would agree with. It is located very near the University of Hawaii so the school has kids of university professors, etc. We have two daughters and have educated them both at St. Andrew's Priory. I can't say enough good things about the Priory. I don't think you have passed the date to register your daughter for the 2010-2011 school year. And even if you have the Priory administration is very open to receiving new girls (it's an all girls school). The Priory is located in downtown Honolulu within walking distance of the federal building. I too work downtown in a quasi-federal government job and the Priory has been very convenient for us. The student-teacher ratio is very good at the Priory. However, like all private schools in Hawaii the Priory is expensive. I believe the current tuition is around $12-13K/year which is still much better than many of the other private schools on Oahu (Punahou is probably around $20K/year now). Hope this helps you in your search for quality education for your daughter.
I would seriously consider ALL the pros and cons before moving here. Donb't get caught up in the whole "paradise" image cast on Hawaii. We moved our 2 children here 5 months ago (ages 3 and 5). I had no idea the extent of the horrible school system here. The public schools look like ghetto buildings and are deteriorating something fierce. I don't know how conscious you are about money, but look at it this way:
You will undoubtedly need to put your child in private school (specially if she is haole). That will cost you average $15k a year. So, you are looking at $180,000 in debt before she even gets to college.
If you are accustomed to living in very small condos you will do fine. However, if you are like me and are coming from a 2000 sqft house, a condo feels like a hotel room. Plus, your child doesn't have a backyard to play in and you have to keep your child's noise to a minimum because most condo buildings don't have many children living in them (at least that I am aware of.) And, they aren't safe for kids. We are constantly worrying about our kids near the windows, lanai etc.
So, this leaves you to the option of renting a house. A typical house in a good neighborhood (I'll get to that in a minute) is at least $2k a month. Then, you have to decide if you are going to spend the $15k to ship your stuff from the east coast or spend the money and buy new stuff. Don't get caught up in the idea of furnishing your house from yardsales....you may get lucky but I wouldn't count on it.
Then, if you are planning on renting for a while, plan on paying a lot more money than normal come tax time (if you own now) because you won't have the write-off's.
As far as neighborhoods....I wouldn't go any further west than Manoa Valley if you are haole. If you can afford it, I would look into Hawaii Kai, Kuliouou, Aina Haina, Kahala, Wainae areas. If you are some other ethnicity, then you may blend in. You will hear people on this site say it all depends on how you treat and respect the people around here. That is true is some situations, but for the most part that is absolute BS. The majority of the local people here (with exceptions of course) are disgruntled against haoles. They have this feeling of this is their land and you are here to take it from them (old plantation era caused this to be passed on through generations.) Travel to Waipahu, the entire leeward side of the island as well as the upper windward sides and you will see what I mean.
The one thing that REALLY gets under my skin here is that the racism is accepted! It is a cool thing amongst some of the locals to pick on other races, even on black people.
The police department here absolutely sucks too. I have been a police officer for 10 years before moving here and cannot believe my eyes sometimes. I live in Waikiki and have had to call the police multiple times so far since we've been here. There is a reason Honolulu ranks as one of the safest big cities and it is not because of a lack of crime. It is because if there is not a report generated, it does not go against statistics. Ever wonder why the police cars drive around here with their blue lights on all the time? It is because they are wanting to be seen which causes the criminals to scurry....no different than roaches fleeing when the lights come on. I can go on and on about this topic....it is very simple... the city thrives on tourist dollars so they do everything they can to deter the report of a crime.
Long long story shorter, add up how much more money you will be putting out per month/year than now and think about what you could do with that money as far as retirement. Your daughter, at least in my opinion, would be much better off getting a good education/foundation where you are than the joys of having a beach and good weather.
Sorry to rain on your parade, but I made a stupid, selfish decision when I moved my children to this island. You sound like you put your child's education just as important as I do. That is why as soon as our lease is out we are outta here.
Again, don't be fooled by Hawaii's "paradise" reputation because it's definitely not a "paradise" when all the layers are peeled back.
We have applied to St. Andrew's Priory and it is currently my top choice due to the location (next to where I will work) and I have heard positive things about it. We also applied to Sacred Hearts, Mid-Pacific, and Maryknoll. Downside is that I am not Christian, yet 3 of the 4 schools we applied to have a religious affiliation. To Windward is Best- how much religious teaching is included at St. Andrew's? Do all/most of the girls end up going to college? Is it truly a college prep school?
I don't look forward to shelling out over 10k each year, but am willing to do it to ensure our only child gets a good education. Luckily, we will not be having any more kids. If our daughter does not get into any privates, I was thinking of finding a place in the Noelani district. Would you still recommend one of those privates mentioned above as opposed to Noelani (assuming money is not a factor and based strictly on the quality of the education)?
We currently live in an 1100 sq ft condo in a great part of NOVA. We are accustomed to living in a small space - but where we live is very urban, and we are yearning for beaches, warmth, a slower pace, and friendly people. My husband is haole and I am South Asian (Indian) - his skin is very white, but he is laid back and does not have a "manhattan" attitude. He is friendly with and can relate to people from all walks of life. I have tan/brown skin, and our daughter is a mix with dark eyes, light brown hair and olive skin.
We are fortunate that the government will be paying to ship all of our furniture and 1 car. We will also have access to the military px/commissary for purchasing food etc (husband will be retired soon). This makes things more palatable for us in terms of the cost of moving/living. Our main added expense will be for education (which we would not have to pay for in NOVA). I think the cost of housing where we live right now is the same as Honolulu (i.e., $2500 -2800 per month to rent a nice 2 bed/2bath condo in a great location with great public schools). We want to move to a house though, and a 3 bedroom/2bath home or townhome in NOVA where we would want to live would cost us between 800k-1million.
Can we find a 3bedroom/2bath home (say between 1200 -1700sq feet) in a safe neighborhood, with a small yard, that is a 15-20 minute commute to downtown Honolulu during rush hour, and maybe close to the beach too? This would be the ideal situation, not sure if it is realistic though. I figure we'd have to pay for all of that too...a lot...guessing it would be similar to NOVA prices? Have been told that Nuuanu, Punchbowl, Kaimuki, Pacific Heights, Alewa Heights, or Pauoa Valley might fit the bill? From looking at the map, I think Hawaii Kai would be too far away, esp. since my husband will be working more towards the western part of Oahu.
Thanks very much for your input. Still debating whether to stay in Northern VA or make the move....
You have not said what area you and your husband will be working in but maybe I missed it (Downtown Honolulu?)
Anyway, unless you live downtown, and even then, you will be hard pressed to find a place that will only be a 15-20 min drive into the city during peak hours and still be near a beach and have a nice little yard. Mountain ranges run through the center of the island, so you go through or around them, and means limited roads that are packed during peak hours.
There are neighborhoods / areas though where you could settle that would offer what you are looking for but be prepared to put in at least 30 min to an hour each way for traffic for your commute.
Kailua / windward Oahu is a nice place (expensive, but comparable to where you are now by the sounds of it) and has some decent public schools for younger kids, but you would want to look at private for middle and high schools. Lanikai Elementary is a public Charter school and very good, and Kaelepulu, Olomana, and Enchanted Lakes are reasonably good as well. For private schools on the windward side we have LeJardin which is said to be excellent if pricey.
Good luck and if you have specific questions about areas you are looking into, post them here and we can help.
I went to public schools on Oahu and don't recommend it for a seven year old haole child ever-unless he/she is extremely confident, strong willed, and able to take on lots of bullying. The culture and race issue is extremely difficult to overcome. I love Hawaii but never would put my caucasion children in public school there. When on Maui, I felt that my children would have done better there however even if the academics were poor.
Punahou is where OBama went and we would have been in the same class but it is (and was) very expensive but it is one of the best on the islands.
I have recruited Hawaiian kids for a major University on the mainland. Even the smartest kids from any of the Hawaii public schools had too weak of college preparation and would never be considered for admission. (Smart Native Hawaiian kids go to the private Kamehameha schools and get admitted much easier to mainland schools.) I know you said you were Catholic but also consider some of the christian schools, I have found many students have received great foundations at these schools and get accepted at the best mainland schools-and their families were Buddhists.
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